The present invention relates to an improvement for a fishline guide mechanism of a spinning reel.
There has been recognized a problem in a fishline guide mechanism provided in a spinning reel because a conventional fishline guide roller provided in a bail support member applies an irregular force to a fishline during the course of winding operation, which results in twisting of the fishline, non-uniform winding of the fishline on the spool, the permanent wave phenomenon on the fishline, and the possibility of severing the fishline, since the winding direction is varied depending on the diameter of the fishline wound on the spool. FIGS. 11a through 11c illustrate a conventional roller `a`, and exemplify line twist that is caused by movement of the fishline `b` on the outer periphery of the roller `a`. More specifically, when fishline `b` is laid in an inclined manner with respect to the roller axis `c` (see FIG. 11a), rotation of the roller `a` acts to shift the fishline `b` away from the central area of reduced diameter (in the direction of the arrow of FIG. 11b). Since tension is applied to the fishline `b`, the fishline `b` tends to move to its original position of FIG. 11a during rotation. Movement of the fishline `b` back to its original position shown in FIG. 11c causes rolling and twisting in the fishline `b` (FIG. 11c). To solve this problem, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication Sho. 58-19468 discloses an automatic alignment system in which a rotatable fishline guide roller is supported on a bail support member so as to be tiltable about its rotational center.
However, the automatic alignment system for the guide roller suffers from several problems in that a clearance between a peripheral one end of the fishline guide roller and an annular projection of the support member is increased when the fishline guide roller is tilted, so that the fishline is likely to enter and clog into the increased clearance. At the other peripheral end of the fishline guide roller, the fishline is likely to come off from a guide portion of the guide roller and ride on the other portion outward from the guide portion. In addition, the conventional guide roller inherently cause the fishline to roll and twist during use because the line receiving section is not able to restrict rolling and twisting of the fishline during the winding operation.